Psychiatric Technician

Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, MIDDLE TENNESSEE MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE DIVISION, DAVIDSON COUNTY
A Pre-employment Criminal Background Check is Required.
This classification of Psychiatric Technician at MTMHI currently has an approved hiring rate of $2,801 monthly.
This is an on-site position.

Qualifications

Summary

Responsibilities

• Performs lifesaving emergency procedures (e.g., CPR, Heimlich maneuver).
• Rescues injured patients and/or escorts patients to appropriate areas during the event of an emergency.
• Provides basic and/or emergency/psychiatric medical assistance under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider.
• Searches for and retrieves patients who are unaccounted for or who have left facility without authorization.
• Bathes, clothes, feeds and provides direct daily living care for patients.
• Calls for assistance to provide prompt medical intervention.
• Teaches patients to function at the highest daily living level possible through demonstration, one-on-one instruction, videos, or booklets.
• Promotes social interaction by encouraging patient participation in group activities and/or discussions.
• Escorts patients on field trips and medical appointments.
• Adjusts protective devices (e.g., helmets, mittens, spit masks) to ensure patient and staff safety.
• Answers signals or call lights to determine the need of the patient.
• Introduces the patient to other patients and the facility's staff.

Performing General Physical Activities:

• Restrains patients to prevent injuries to themselves and others.
• Moves, lifts, and/or transfers patients using sliding boards, wheel chairs, or other required equipment.
• Cleans the work area, supplies, and equipment to ensure a sanitary living environment.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events:

• Identifies problematic situations between staff and patients and takes appropriate corrective action (e.g., intervenes when a staff member is having difficulties interacting with a patient).
• Identifies patients at risk based on current assessment by medical professionals and follows established protocols for specific risks to ensure safety of patients and staff.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material:

• Inspects patients' belongings, rooms and other patient areas to check for contraband, safety and health issues, equipment functioning, or other problems or issues.
• Inspects food trays to ensure the delivered items are consistent with the diet list for each patient.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:

• Maintains current information and adheres to the Health Information Portability and Privacy Act (HIPPA) and other regularity standards relevant to job duties.
• Attends annual and periodic in-service training to keep up-to-date on the latest methods and technologies relevant to job duties.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others:

• Explains HIPPA laws, patients' rights, and other information to patients, families, and/or conservators.
• Explains routine ancillary services during patient orientation.
• Explains admission, vital sign, and laboratory procedures to patients.
• Explains to patients the reason why they are leaving the institution grounds for off-campus trips or appointments.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems:

• Evaluates patients' functionality to determine the need for mobility assistance.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization:

• Communicates with family members, service providers, and the general public to exchange information in accordance with HIPPA laws.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:

• Monitors patients during administration of medications and meals to assist in compliance with prescribed regimen.
• Monitors alarms and panic buttons to ensure safety of patients and staff.
• Monitors office and medical supplies to ensure that adequate quantities are on hand.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:

• Meets with other staff daily to discuss patient behavior or any other hospital situations that have occurred.
• Reports to immediate supervisor observed progression or regression in patients that may indicate training/treatment need changes.
• Communicates to appropriate staff the patients' needs for interpreters or any other special services.
• Reports to immediate supervisor any safety or building maintenance problems to request repair of the problems.

Coaching and Developing Others:

• May mentor new staff by providing feedback and information on organizational culture, policies, and procedures, task prioritization, and other work-related information.

Scheduling Work and Activities:

• May ensure patients' secure transportation upon discharge.
• Contacts all appropriate personnel to notify them of any off-campus trips or appointments for patients.

Getting Information:

• Checks patients for the presence of injuries and/or contraband.
• Takes patients' vital signs upon admission.
• Observes patients for signs of distress (e.g., poor vital signs, level of consciousness, behavior outburst).
• Visually checks the physical condition of units for any possible safety hazards.
• Observes patients visually for changes in behavior or attitude indicating effective or ineffective training/treatment.
• Asks patients questions upon admission to identify food and/or medical allergies.
• Monitors the amount of clothing and personal items belonging to patients.

Documenting/Recording Information:

• Documents general changes in the patients' behavior (e.g., eating and sleeping patterns).
• Documents inspection of findings on body injury chart.
• Records key behaviors on flow sheet for patients in seclusion, restraints, and during unit checks.
• Fills out discharge paperwork by checking and initialing appropriate boxes/fields on the required forms.
• Labels and stores patients' personal belongings.
• Transcribes onto appropriate forms the hand-written orders from medical staff.
• Completes all required forms to gain approval to take patients from the facility for off-campus trips or appointments.
• Labels laboratory specimen transport containers to ensure proper handling of specimens.
• Records a personal item inventory for patients.
• Checks inventory sheets to ensure patients have their own belongings when being discharged.
• Records patient progress on institutional tracking forms.
• Assembles patient medical records appropriately by ensuring that all pieces of information are included and are in the correct order.
• Records procedures and/or tests performed on pre-printed logs.
• Fills out required forms to verify any money spent on patients' personal items.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment:

• May operate a wheel-chair accessible vehicle or other State motor vehicle to drive patients to off-campus trips or appointments or to pick up needed supplies.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:

• Greets and interacts with visitors to determine the reason for their visit, document/authorize their visit, and/or direct to appropriate location.

Controlling Machines and Processes:

• Operates or assists in the operation of Hoyer lifts, scales, suction canisters, or other patient care equipment
• Operates copiers and scanners to create digital images of paper documents.

Interacting With Computers:

• Uses a computer (e.g., access the internet, use office productivity software, such as word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation programs) to process or obtain information, create documents, and communicate by email.

Processing Information:

• Enters and edits patient information in the health information database (e.g., Avatar system).
• Compares total patient count to bed availability to determine new admission availability.
• Orders medical and office supplies using an online ordering system.
• Disassembles discharged patients' charts and other medical information and submits to medical records staff.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information:

• Estimates the quantities of resource materials needed to conduct treatment mall classes based on number of groups and number of participants in each group.

Handling and Moving Objects:

• Moves and unloads boxes of office and medical supplies to their correct storage location.
• Removes personal items and bed linens from patients' room upon discharge.

Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Integrity and Trust
• Listening
• Technical Learning
• Action Oriented
• Compassion
• Composure
• Patience
• Functional/Technical Competencies
• Time Management
• Written Communications
• Ethics and Values

Knowledge:

• Basic knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services, including customer needs assessment and meeting quality standards for services
• Basic knowledge of principles and methods for teaching and instruction for individuals and groups
• Basic knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, and other office procedures and terminology

Skills:

• Basic skill in managing one's own time
• Basic skill in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
• Basic skill in understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents
• Basic skill in communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience
• Basic skill in understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making
• Basic skill in talking to others to convey information effectively
• Basic skill in giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
• Basic skill in selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things
• Basic skill in adjusting actions in relation to others' actions
• Basic skill in teaching others how to do something
• Basic skill in actively looking for ways to help people

Abilities:

• Be physically able to perform assigned patient care tasks
• Be physically able to utilize approved crisis management techniques
• Ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears
• Basic ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
• Basic ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• Ability to speak clearly so others can understand
• Basic ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures
• Basic ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
• Basic ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand
• Ability to identify and understand the speech of another person

Tools & Equipment

• Computer
• Electronic Devices
• General Office Equipment
• Various medical equipment and devices

TN Driver Standards

State of Tennessee positions that may involve driving responsibilities require candidates to meet the following minimum driver qualifications:

• A valid driver's license
• For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not have record of the following violations: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, more than 4 moving violations.

Please include your Driver's License Information under the Licenses and Certifications section of your application.

**Agencies may allow an exception based on other factors.